staying committed to your system
It happens with almost everything, at least for me.
There's the first blush of: I WILL NEVER LOVE A SYSTEM FOR KEEPING MYSELF ORGANIZED LIKE I LOVE THIS SYSTEM. TOGETHER FOREVER.
And then, we hum along in a sense of comfortable companionship, the system remembering my tasks, me feeling grateful for the system and putting in the work to keep it functional.
And then, sometimes, my attention starts to wander. A new system seems quite attractive! My old system just doesn't have the same spark that it used to! It's not you, Bullet Journaling, it's me!!!!
But I've learned now, over the course of a few of these dating - committed relationship - breakup cycles that there is a BIG cost to switching systems. Not an insurmountable one, but one to consider before you switch.
So if you're feeling antsy with your current system, or are just doing a general "where is this relationship going" check in, here are some questions to answer to see if there is work to be done, if it can be salvaged, and what to look for in a new system!
Am I avoiding using my system, and instead using a makeshift one (or none at all?)
What things am I missing/not doing consistently/losing sight of?
What feels sticky about the current system?
Undone tasks?
Complicated set up
Changing circumstances?
Would you use it again if you could have a hard reset?
Can you hard reset it?
Is there another system that meets more of your needs than the current one is?
But in general, the best rule of thumb for project management systems is: does this require the minimum amount of effort to maintain? How can I make it easier to use and still get the benefits?
Some amount of project management is important - it helps you remember things, keep on track, prioritize important things and not just urgent ones, gives you a sense of progress. But when maintaining the system is as much of a chore as doing the work itself, then something is out of balance. Think about it as a relationship - is it worth it to stay together for the history? Is it worth it to keep the investment and move through this rough patch? Or do you need a fresh start?
are you covering new territory?
i think while i write when i’m doing any kind of scholarly writing. i definitely have outlines - can’t live without them - but there’s a certain magic that happens when i’m drafting that helps me clarify what i actually mean, and how i want to say it. the problem is that when i really let myself think and draft in all directions, i can end up with a draft that can be really repetitive, covering the same idea in a few different ways, or with more citations, or in different case studies…
so over the years, i’ve developed some ways to build in reflection during the drafting process to help catch some of those flights of prose-fancy, but one question has quickly risen to the top as a multipurpose question:
am i covering new territory?
your writing is like a map. it shows people how to get from some ideas to other ideas - hopefully yours! and just like a map, it has some important features, like boundaries (what’s included and what isn’t included) and major landmarks (how can people orient and relate what you’re saying with what they already know?). and sometimes, we get stuck filling in the same part of the map with more and more detail - adding more citations, reading more literature to make sure that we’re citing what we need to, adding more examples that further illustrate the same ideas.
the “am i covering new territory” question can help you see that retreading - it doesn’t mean you won’t ever return to that area of your map, it just is a sign to move to a new area so that you can have a more complete map.
outlines can also be really helpful here - if you’re adding more and more detail to the same section of your outline, that might not count as new territory! even the most schematic of outlines can give you a sense of the overall boundaries and region of your writing-map, and help you see what areas need more.
when drawing a map, you need not start at the edges, or the top, and work your way from one side to the other. maybe you start by labeling all the major landmarks, and then you decide where to draw the boundaries. maybe you start in the center, and radiate outwards. maybe you get everything to 10% detail, and then 30%, and then 80%. the “am i covering new territory” question can help in all of those scenarios - a way to make sure that your whole map, your whole argument, is getting attention, a reminder to keep an eye on the whole even as individual parts get your focus and attention.
may you all cover new territory this week!